Making Officers, Building Leaders

Soldiers describe the ROTC program and their experiences - what it takes to become a leader, the curriculum, physical training, time management, military science, practical training, basic map reading, land navigation, firing a rifle, water...

A Most Rewarding Experience

Making Officers, Building Leaders

Soldiers describe the ROTC program and their experiences - what it takes to become a leader, the curriculum, physical training, time management, military science, practical training, basic map reading, land navigation, firing a rifle, water...

In terms of being a leader, a lot of it has to do with you taking care of yourself first, after that you can manage other people. Physically it's challenging because we have physical training in the morning Monday, Wednesday, Friday. And then additionally you have your classes and your leadership lab and so it did take a big chunk of time, but then one of the things they teach you in ROTC is time management.

This school puts what we train in the MS, the Military Science department, and we train discipline and we train all the military lifestyle and then we get to put it in practical application here. They have tremendous dedication. They will get up Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning at 4:45 and they will show up properly dressed and ready for their PT. They'll spend a full day in academics, they'll go back to the Corps and they will take on leadership responsibilities and put in late hours. And still with all of that on their plate end up with very high academic averages.

We're doing basic map reading, land navigation, we're teaching them to fire the rifle. We also conduct water survival training. One of the things ROTC does is it challenges people in varying degrees as they move through the programs beginning very early on as being a freshmen and a sophomore.

I find that my experience in ROTC has been very empowering because I've done things I never ever thought I could do or was capable of but it's also been very humbling because you realize your dependence on other people and teamwork.

A few hours after I graduate I commission into the U.S. Army. Actual Army rank will be pinned on us and everything we have worked for in ROTC will have paid off with this rank and it's a symbol as a United States Army Officer someone who is held in utmost respect. It's an exciting new rank, it's an exciting new job, and commissioning is where it all begins.